“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in
thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am
persuaded that in thee also.”

II Timothy 1:5

Most
of us have fond memories of grandparents who hold a special place in our
hearts. The Bible has much to say about grandparents. They play a major role in
the Kingdom of God. The book of Genesis is a foundational book. It tells about
families, births, deaths, marriages, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters,
grandchildren, and even great grandchildren. By these records, God is showing
us the importance of each position. Godly grandparents bring stability,
experience, and wisdom to the family, church, and community. As they are dear
to the heart of God, we must honor them and lift them up in high esteem, for
they are a gift from heaven. Amen.

In this article we will
take a brief look at the role, responsibilities, and rewards of grandparents.
Numerous grandmothers and grandfathers are found in the Scriptures, but the
name “grandmother” is mentioned only once. I pray that this article will be a
blessing.

The Role of Grandparents

Grandparentsplay an important role in the
life of the family. In II Timothy 1:5, the writer speaks of the faith of
Timothy along with his mother and grandmother (Lois) who had given him
spiritual instructions, “When I call to remembrance
the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois,
and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” There
is no mention of his father, except that he was a Gentile. Lois, Timothy’s
grandmother, was a devout Jewish woman who had taught her daughter and grandson
in the Old Testament Scriptures. Her faith is called unfeigned, that is,
without hypocrisy or deceit. In other words, her faith was genuine. We need
more grandmothers like this in our world.

In Holy Writ, we always see grandparents listed with family. For example,
when Jacob and his family went down to Egypt to live, his sons and his son’s
sons’ and sons’ daughters are mentioned, “And Jacob
rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and
their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to
carry him. And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten
in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:
His sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and
all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.” (Genesis 46:5-7).
Again in Exodus 10:2, a similar statement is given, “And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of
thy son's son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done
among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.”In the Bible,
we do not see grandparents running the roads in motor homes or living in
retirement villages in Florida, neither do we find them thrown off in nursing
homes. Most of the elderly receive physical care in these places apart from
family care. The government has helped divide the family through their many
programs. One of these is Social Security. Not only is it costly, but also it
opened a way for grandparents to live independently from their children and
grandchildren. In years past, they had to look to their family for provisions,
but not so in our modern society. Many grandparents are separated from family
and their God given role. Their life is centered around bingo, bridge, pulling the
levers of slot machines, and shopping. God help us to realize our purpose in
life as we age and mature in our lives. In Proverbs 17:6, we have a
picture of an aging grandparent delighting in his grandchildren. In the first
clause we are told, “Children's children are the
crown of old men . . .” This verse speaks of a mutual love between
grandparents and grandchildren that they share in each other. Each relationship
in life is special and unique and the same is true of the grandparents and
grandchildren. It is a gift from our Creator.

The Responsibility of Grandparents

Grandparenting has its responsibilities, and that
is, to pass on a spiritual heritage to the next generation (Psalms 78:1-7).
Grandparents are to infuse their faith not only to their children, but also to
their grandchildren, Deuteronomy 4:9, “Only
take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things
which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of
thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons.” They must be
established in the covenant of their God. It has been said that, “Youth is the
time to get instruction, middle age is the time to use it, and old age is the
time to pass it on.” We teach not only by word, but also by example, Proverbs
16:31, “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if
it be found in the way of righteousness.” The white hair represents
wisdom and experience. It is a wonderful testimony to the younger generation
when the older generation be found in righteousness. In Genesis 48, we
see the concern of Jacob to bless his grandchildren (the sons of Joseph) as he
lay dying. Joseph knew the importance of this blessing on his children.
Families had much closer ties in times past than in our society. Abraham helped
in the training of his grandchildren. He had many children and lived about 35
years after Isaac married (Genesis 18:19, 25:1-6).

According to Titus 2:1-7, the older are to be teachers of the
younger. Grandparents are extremely important in the life of children. God
purposely slows them down to fulfill their role. They have the time,
experience, maturity, wisdom, stability, and love to perform this task. God
never intended the experience of life to be wasted, but to be passed on.
Grandparents are to be a testimony to the little ones in their life, marriage,
work, and faithfulness to God. By the way, if children are placed in school
outside the home, grandparents will be able to play very little role in their
lives.

The Reward of Grandparents

The
reward of grandparents is to see their children and grandchildren walking with
the Lord God, “I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children walk in truth.”(3 John 4) It is a wonderful
blessing when children imitate the faith of godly parents and grandparents.
According to Jeremiah 35, Jonadab’s descendents (House of the
Rechabites) were still walking in his faith and instructions a few hundred
years after his death. This kind of report would thrill the heart of any
grandparent. We must strive to leave this kind of legacy among our descendents.
We must have a positive impact on our grandchildren. The greatest inheritance
you can leave them is a good name. This is not the time to spoil them with the
junk of this world, but prepare them to lay up treasures in heaven. We must
forever pray for their welfare in the Kingdom of God.

In conclusion, the gray hair should be respected and honored in our
family, church, and society. They have a lot to offer to the younger
generation. Many churches are entertaining the youth, while ignoring the aged.
In the United States, since 1978, the Sunday after Labor Day has been set aside
to honor grandparents. I suggest that we honor them 365 days a year and give
them the proper role in the family and the Kingdom of God.

“The glory of
young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head.”

Proverbs 20:29

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved, and thy house.” Acts 16:31